National Briefing | Washington: A Call For Older Soldiers

Published: March 22, 2005

Stung by recruiting shortfalls caused by the Iraq war, the Army has raised the maximum age for recruits for the Army Reserve and National Guard by five years, to 39, officials said. They said the move, a three-year experiment, would add about 22 million people to the pool of those eligible to serve, from about 60 million now. Physical standards will not be relaxed for older recruits, who the Army said were valued for their maturity and patriotism. The Pentagon has relied heavily on Army reservists and guardsmen summoned from civilian life to maintain troop levels in Iraq and Afghanistan.